Mr. Jerry Grant:

A joint working group involving Irish Water and the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government is examining the challenge in respect of group water and taking-in-charge schemes. The broad approach is that the group would bring these schemes up to scratch and raise standards with the support of the State and Irish Water would then take them in charge. This would be addressed with the Commission for Energy Regulation in terms of any additional costs arising from taking in charge of assets generally and, in particular, group water schemes.